Madeira News Blog

Today’s Photo Thanks to Eiryl … Porto Santo ferry docked in Funchal

In yesterday’s Portugal Cup 4th round football matches, mixed results for our lads. União (Madeira) lost in a penalty shootout away to Mafra. The Mafra team came onto the pitch wearing protective masks as a protest, after attempts to postpone the game, because of squad members with Gripe A swine flu, were rejected.

Camacha however march on onto the next round, after beating Vigor e Mocidade by 1 – 0 in their home game. They should have won easily as the opponents were from series D in the third division.

Nacional struggled against Fátima in Funchal, with no goals in the actual game, but eventually qualified for the next round after winning a penalty shootout 4 – 3.

Elaine asked me to post this. I am clearly not having much luck in attracting sufficient help, so I really hope Elaine has more success :

WARNING BELLS ARE RINGING.

Der and myself are desperate for help. We are both taking far too much time on the blog, more than you would think (or I dare to admit). People really need to start sending Der articles or this blog will finish for good. We are both fighting hard to keep it going. Please don’t let everyone down by thinking your help isn’t needed or that your article won’t be interesting. Even a small contribution, regularly or otherwise, would help and encourage others. It would take some of the pressure off us both. The more diverse, the more interesting it could get for everyone.

Suggestions of how people can help:

Take a section of the online Diário. Front page, Madeira, Economy, Politics, Culture. I use Google translation toolbar, and other online translators are available.

Other newspapers online. Jornal da Madeira, Diário Cidade.

Tourism Board site. They will send you an email every month with details (in English). Also DRAC site has a monthly Cultural Agenda in English.

Scan newspapers and sites for articles about the island, tourist reviews and blogs.

Any travel articles. Ports, airports, organized tours, hotels.

Any experiences about your days out here, e.g. exhibitions, restaurants, cafes, bars, tours, museums, walks, places visited.

Local food with recipes and wine tasting.

Nature articles. Plants, birds, animals, environment, parks.

Local customs and culture.

Festivals and cultural events – coming or visited.

News and activities where you live, if on the island.

Shopping and offers.

Nautical events and special sports events.

Organisations and their events.

Any suggestions welcome.

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Elaine had very kindly again provided yesterday’s top news stories :

Enterprises, employment and tourism have money. Strengthening tourism promotion, incentives to businesses and jobs and greater investment in culture depends largely on ….. state.  At the end of the year, Madeira will have the largest direct debt in the history of the Region. For the bank loan guarantees, the Government has commitments in the order of 1,900 million Euros. Ventura Garces, the Regional Secretary of Planning and Finance will deliver tomorrow to the President of the Legislative Assembly of Madeira the proposed budget for 2010. As normal, 40% of expenditure is for public investment to secure employment through public works and to prevent people becoming dependent on meagre state benefits. Little is known of this year’s proposals. Tax revenue is expected to drop significantly next year so they are optimistic that the State will transfer €70 million early on. The European Union has provided a transfer of €75 million. The Regional revenue (tax etc) and transfers from the State and the EU will cover 86% of expenditure, so a loan is required for the remainder. Garces would not admit to the amount which he is asking the State to agree but it is thought to be more than €200 million, enough to repay the loan and secure payment to suppliers. Education and Health account for 73% of expenditure and Garces is worried about the spiralling costs of the departments, institutes and autonomous funds which represent 28% of total expenditure, and these levels could be cut. Incentives to business will cost €20 million and tourism will have an increase of almost one million Euros for promotion. In the next three years, €362 million will have to be repaid to banks, €52 million next year. The Government owes more than €150 million to suppliers, backed with loans amounting to €1,174 million. The Regional Government debt is expected to rise to €784.9 million by the end of this year, the highest value in history. This is justified by the debt being 17% GDP and the EU allowing up to 60% GDP or a debt limit of €2,760 million Euros. Jardim hopes to save tens of millions by his recent cuts.

Rocks continue to fall. The rock fall between Ribeira Brava and Tabua continues, along a section that has been sealed off to the public for almost two years.

Bad weather boosts road casualties. The number of accidents increased this week with rain and excessive speed for the conditions. There were 61 accidents that caused 19 minor injuries, compared with 45 accidents and 21 injuries during the previous week. Funchal (26 accidents, 8 injured), Santa Cruz (13 accidents, 3 injured), Câmara de Lobos (9 accidents, 3 injured). Friday was the worst day, 5 people taken to hospital and 15 accidents. The via rápida, where there are an average of 11 accidents per week, had the most accidents with 28 last week resulting in minor injuries to 6 people.

UMajuda helps schools in Achada and Rochão. This University organisation collects donations, especially for the younger age group. They have distributed dictionaries, children’s books, encyclopaedias, maps, video tapes, games and sports equipment to the schools in Rochão and Achada, as elsewhere in the region during previous years. The university musical groups ‘tunas’ have also visited the schools. They have also helped the elderly and the Red Cross and SPAD.

Support for the outermost regions are possible. One of the MEPs said that permanent funding for the outermost regions is not guaranteed from 2013, but it is possible under the Community Support Framework. He said that with the signing of the Lisbon Treaty, member states have not lost their sovereignty under a centralized Europe, as there are sometimes opt-outs if they think the matter should be debated nationally. Risks are that some countries will dominate and defend their own interests first. Costs will increase with an increase in the number of posts.

Official websites of Government and councils lack maintenance. Lack of update. Regional statistics are out of date, some by two or three years. Most councils have not updated details about council members since the elections. Good examples are Câmara de Lobos, Porto Santo, Machico and Santa Cruz.

Bandolin Christmas Concert. December 12 at Teatro Baltazar Dias, Funchal, cost 5 Euros.

Lobo Marinho delayed due to power failure. An electrical failure late on Sunday night affected the electrical connections. The fault was detected at 8 am when the ferry was preparing to leave Funchal and delayed the departure. The electrical failure on the bridge and engine room made it impossible to leave the port of Funchal so a tug had to intervene at about 9.15 am. The failure did not affect the speed of the ship but it had to reduce speed to provide time for the tug to reach Porto Santo. The route normally takes 2 hours 10 minutes and took around 5 hours. The captain said the return journey should not be affected as tugs would be ready both at Porto Santo and at Funchal. The ship had about 200 passengers on board.

Government reinforces consular assistance in South Africa. Portuguese Government will reinforce assistance during the World Cup next year. They will also produce a brochure with local contact numbers for emergency assistance.

Builders guarantees on new properties provide most complaints. In 2008, the Office of Consumer Protection in Madeira received 305 requests for assistance in this area, and this year the number has already reached 289. For a period of five years, owners of new properties should be able to have any defects repaired by the builder. In reality, it is difficult to get the repair corrected and the person often has to go to court or pay themselves. They often find the builder has gone out of business or disappeared. Legal action has to be taken within three years of the complaint.

AIDS prevention. Madeira, like other European countries, faces serious problems that affect many young people, like drinking, smoking, drug addiction, sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS. This was stated at the conference yesterday, ‘Youth Without Risk’. Portugal has a staggering number of infected people, especially related to teenage pregnancy. Young people are educated about the transmission of AIDS but still do not use protection.

Burglaries in Barreiros. Burglaries  at the apartments Barreiros Golden and Stadium in Barreiros over the past two days have resulted in doors being broken down and around 8,000 Euros of gold and cash stolen. These occurred last Tuesday and Wednesday and the police have increased patrols.

Failure of lifts in apartment blocks force tenants to climb 150 stairs. Apartment blocks affected are Varzea Park in São Martinho and Caminho do Amparo, block A 1 North. The top flats on the ninth floor are 150 stairs up. Some older people refuse to leave the flats and this has occurred for two months now.

The ‘Madeira’ in documentary. Alzirino Henriques has produced a DVD about the ship ‘Madeira’ which used to transport goods and passengers between Madeira and Porto Santo. Its sinking on 21 October 2000 has led to its use as an artificial reef and this 30 minute video demonstrates the beauty of the flora and fauna which have colonised it. The video is in both Portuguese and English and the producer is Eduardo Costa, who has produced many local videos. It costs 15 Euros and can be purchased from FNAC, the Porto Santo Line and Tourism posts.

Sue very kindly sent in these news stories, many thanks …

The funeral of cabo Telo was held in the presence of hundreds of people – "Now he is in his own country". Hundreds of people gathered yesterday at the church of Paul do Mar for the last farewell to the first cabo (corporal) Gabriel Telo, killed in action 36 years ago in Guinea Bissau. The funeral closes a case of a group of soldiers, of whom two were from Madeira – the cabo and the soldier Telo João Nunes Ferreira. The process of exhumation and repatriation of the bodies to Portugal took about three years. The Union of the paratroopers was the body who started this rescue – being three elements of this special force among the 11 corpses – which now ends with this funeral, the last of the bodies were removed from Guidaje in Guinea Bissau. Now closed, in fact, a course whose objective was to bring home the bodies that had been buried in that cemetery campaign in Guinea, explained the president of the Parachute Regiment, General Avelar de Sousa, who yesterday attended the ceremony. Several entities had joined forces for the task to make this last tribute to the soldier, who died on May 25, 1973 (not 1963 as incorrectly written yesterday). Miguel Mendonça, chairman of the Legislative Assembly of Madeira, in the morning put a wreath at the urn of the soldier, while still at the monument to the Madeira overseas soldier. A little later, in Paul do Mar, the district where  the cabo was born, Monteiro Diniz attended the funeral, ex-Representative of the Republic to Madeira, also Brazão de Castro, regional secretary, and Manuel Baeta, Mayor of Calheta, among other personalities. The process of exhumation and repatriation of the bones of cabo Telo opened a wound in the family that they had spent decades trying to heal. Mother, Flora Telo, never gave up so that the memory of the son would not be forgotten. During the last 36 years she insistently repeated stories about Gabriel, highlighting the qualities of this young man, who was sacristan in the church, the same church that hosted the final farewell ceremony. Yesterday, the upset prevented Flora Telo from saying what that final moment meant for her. The day before, however, she confessed that she still felt "a great longing for my son." And looked towards the sky and called to Gabriel. "He was a good dear son, as a child" and he helped in the church, she recalled. The arrival of the remains opened wounds of the past in the family, but, despite the moments of pain and anxiety, no one regrets the decision. Yesterday, Gabriela Telo, his sister two years younger, said one feels ‘satisfied’ that Gabriel was now "closer" to the family. The youngest of the sisters, said she felt "a mixture of emotions that were impossible to describe." Still, she said that at that very moment, outside the cemetery, she felt "a joy, because he is now at home. These last days have been a difficult time, with resentment, but now that he is here in our cemetery in his country, it is now a relief." With the funeral of cabo Telo "we have closed, in fact, a path with the objective  to bring back the bodies that had been buried in that campaign cemetery in Guinea", said the president of the Parachute Regiment, General Avelar de Sousa, who yesterday attended the farewell ceremony of the soldier from Madeira, who died 36 years ago in Guinea Bissau.

Regional success against smoking in national press. At present, about 45 percent successfully quit smoking with smoking cessation consultations from the Health Centre of Bom Jesus. Compared to internationally, the success average here is 35 percentage points higher. Having just celebrated "No Smoking Day", which leads people to seek consultation  at the Health Centre of Bom Jesus. Ermelinda Alves said there are several reasons. Some people, because they became aware that tobacco is bad for their health, causing heart and lung disease, and that it is the cause of many cancers, and therefore making the decision to quit. One of the reasons that have more recently led to consultations relates to the economic crisis, where people cannot afford to smoke and come here to seek help to quit. There are also younger people who have young children who, at school, hear their teacher says it’s bad for health, and then the children ask their parents to quit and come to visit. But, of course, that success will be achieved when the smoker makes that decision, and has a strong motivation to quit smoking.

Mini-series will be shot in RAM. After the success of the TV series "Flor do Mar", Madeira will return this year to be the scene of another project of the TV company TVI. After the series (Flower of the Sea) that "exceeded expectations" in terms of growth in the number of tourists from Portugal visiting Madeira, the regional secretary for Tourism and Transport, said that the private channel is preparing a new Portuguese mini-series to present to their viewers in the first quarter of next year. Filming will take place in Madeira in December. "The plot is funny, but I will not reveal", said Conceição Estudante, explaining that the purpose of not wanting to remove the mystery around this new project is to ensure it commands a good audience in Portugal. The exact date when the mini-series will go on air also remains unknown.

Cakes, cakes, liqueurs and pork – In times gone by all these products were made at home and since the beginning of December there was a great hubbub, especially from the ladies in the preparation of these delicacies. Recipes for cakes and liqueurs were often kept in the minds of people and passed on to subsequent generations. A tradition that has persisted over many generations was the so-called "Night of bread." At a time when there were few existing bakeries in Madeira and Porto Santo, families gathered on the evening of 23rd December to bake the bread in the oven. The hard work was done with joy and often the sound of typical melodies of Madeira. Even today in some parishes, especially in the city of Funchal this tradition is maintained. The meat of the pig that was killed on the 8th of December, or the next few days after that date, provided an enormous amount of different recipes.

When the "Feast" had another flavour. Maria Fernandes 78 years clearly remembers the "Feast" and at times it is with some nostalgia that she refers to the many activities taking place in the build up to Christmas. "In the past it seemed that time was not moving. We waited with anxiety the arrival of December to experience the festival. And since there were many difficulties times, Christmas was a very special time because meals were better, we had cocoa and cheese, which during the other months of the year were a luxury. "Also important was the day the pig was killed. The entertainment around the event was varied" Maria Fernandes recalled. "On the eve of that day I almost could not sleep thinking about the task the next day. From early morning until the night I had so much to do with helping "Marchant" (the man who kills the pig), to prepare the various ingredients with the meat of the pig, the innards, blood and lard. And as it was a day of entertainment, I was always looking to play some pranks such as asking someone to go and get oil to lubricate the saw to cut the pork, or  placing of the nails in the pockets of some of the more intoxicated people. And throughout the day no one went hungry or thirsty, with coffee with brandy drunk early in the morning, and not forgetting the dry red wine". These traditional activities of yesteryear are still re-created in the present day by some cultural associations of the region. And in some rural parishes of Madeira, there are those who keep their Christmas with an authentic flavour.

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You can email blog@madeira4u.com with any large contributions and photos / videos.

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